OFFENCES BY MAORIS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 362, 24 January 1941, Page 5

OFFENCES BY MAORIS

COURT SITS AT OPOTIKI

There was a more lengthy list than usual when the monthly sitting of the Opotiki Magistrate's Court Avas held on Monday. Mr E. L. Walton, S.M.. presided, the police cases being conducted by Sergeant J. Isbistcr.

Arising from a previous case in which a Maori, T. Tamiti, now serving a term of imprisonment, Avas involved when the house of J. Hudson, Omaio, was entered, two young Maoris who accompanied Tamiti to the house, were charged Avitli being rogues and vagabonds and with being found in the residence of James Hudson. Both pleaded guilty.

lit was stated in evidence that Tamiti, accompanied by the two youths had gone to the house on the night of November 27 and 28. The house had been occupied by a pupil teacher of the Omarumutu school. Tamiti had climbed through the window but the tAvo youths had not entered the girl's room. Tamiti, who was noAV serving a six months' term in gaol had gone to the house with intent to commit crime. Th* other tAvo had gone through the house. The police had had no complaints about the tAvo young men previously. Fines of £3 and costs were imposed on each charge. Shoplifter Fined. i Charged with the theft of a dress from the Farmers' Trading Company, a Maori woman elected to be dealt with summarily. On December 21 she had been observed by a shop assistant placing a dress in her bag. Noticing that she had been observed the accused had held that the frock Avas hers and that she wished to change it. This statement Avas, hoAA r ever, not accepted and the manager called. The manager had been prepared to let the matter drop, but the accused had insisted that the property Avas her OAA r n and demanded either a replacement or a refund. The manager had decided to notify the police, but the AA r oman had visited them first, only to later ! admit the theft.

A fine of £3 was imposed. Tumblers Stjolen. Atawhai Hauraki was charged with the theft ol glasses the property of E. W. Oswald. The police •stated that on Christmas Eve there had been occasion to speak to the accused and glasses had been noticed in his pocket and had Ijeen adknitted as having been Hotel. There were frequent complaints about glasses being taken from hotels. The defence claimed that the accused had when drinking in the hotel been taken out by the Constable and had, on the spur of the moment, placed the glasses in his pocket. A fine of £1 was imposed and the return of the glasses ordered. Result of Fued'.

A feud between neighbouring farmers led to Ivuiarangi Richmond appearing charged with committing | mischief in that he deliberately wounded a valuable bull and that he ill-treated a bull by wounding it with a shot gun. The charges being in connection with the same offence the second charge was withdrawn. The accused, who is. a farmer at Torere, neighbouring the property of P. Hurea, with whom he had a feud was stated by the prosecution to have, in a lit of temper, fired a shot gun »t a bull from a range of 15 yards, hitting the animal in the hind quarters. A hole was made hi the bull about the size of a half-a-i crown and the oliender had again fired and struck the' animal Avitli pellets. The bull had recovered, but had suffered considerable pain. The accused had previously been before the court.

The defence stated that Richmond and his lather were milking a good herd of Jerseys and objected to the other man's bull going on their farm and serving the cows. The animal had been and still was a nuisance, being large and fighting with Richmond's bull. He pleaded that there had been considerable provocation. Pointing out that the accused had had a proper remedy the magisrate imposed a tine of £2. Young Man in Trouble. Seated by the prosecution to be in more than any young man the district Henry Lingman was -*-a-gecl with assaulting -a' you.ng ~nn. The.offence was ! ■ 'lie young woman and ker bils-

band had attended a dance on D&* \ I cember 27.. The complainant had danced with accused and had later been asked to dance, but had refused on the grounds of being tired.; She had left for home but had to walk some distance to reach the car. When she passed Lingman he had seized her and endeavoured to kiss her. The husband, who was some distance behind, rushed to assist his wife and was attacked by Lingman ~ and they were struggling when separated by onlookers. The accused,, who was married but separated from his wife, was later identified at the hall and apologised. The police stated that at every dance the offender was involved in fights or some other trouble, although strange ly enough he always appeared toreceive the worst of it. Accused was convicted and sentenced to 14 days' hard labour. Liquor Supplied. Whare Kurei pleaded guilty to supplying liquor to a native off licensed premises. It was pleaded that accused was a hard working Maori who had visited the town for the-holidays. A fine of £1 with costs £1 was imposed. Unlawfully on Premises. For being found unlawfully on the premises of tlie Opotiki Hotel Fred Mokomoko appeared in Court. Constable W. A. Rathie stated that he had been passing the hotel when he saw accused appear from the front door. Mokomoko had claim, ed that he had been in to pay the proprietor 3s but this had been denied. A line of £1 with costs £1 was imposed. Traffic Offences. A fine of 10s with costs 10s was imposed on James Ross for having no certificate of fitness for his car.' For failing to give way to a vehicle approaching from the right .!.• Chester was fined. £1 and costs 10s. Cecil Collier had been found .to have no certificate of fitness for his motor cycle and was fined 10s with costs 12s. ' Vincent Piper was charged' with' having no warrant of fitness and no driver's licence. Mr Bunkali,, who is looking after the interests of soldiers, stated that the defendant had entered the overseas camp. Defen-> dant was' convicted and discharged. Anthony Wii;i Walker was charged with operating a trade motor in* Duke Street on November 11. He failed to produce a warrant of fitness or his driver's licence. The - clerk of the court said that defendant, prior to going into camp, produced both, these being correctljf dated. Inspector Delves said that though written to, defendant had not replied. Defendant was convict-* ed and discharged. Children's Court. Arising out of a ease heard in the Magistrate's Court, a young Maoriwas charged in the children's court with being a rogue and a vagabond. A plea of guilty was entered. Sergeant Isbister said that although the boy had gone to a house he did not disturb the girl or enter the house. The boy was placed in the care of the child welfare officer for two years. Another Maori youth was charged ■ 4 ~- w.ith the theft of a horse from Cape Runaway. A plea of guilty was entered. Sergeant Isbister said that a farmer at Cape Runaway missed a. ■ half-draught maie. ; Shortly afterwards it was seen in a paddock on the boy's father's farm. When the owner went to get it it was gone. r The mare was later seen on a f arm » at Opotiki. The mare had been ritl-, » den for eight hours without shoes i and its feet were almost done. The f horse had been exchanged in Qpo- - tiki for another. Evidence was givi en by an Opotiki farmer who stated that when the horse arrived it was ■ hardly able to walk. The boy was ; i also placed in the care of the Avel-^ t fare officer lor lavo years.